The American National Standard Institute, ANSI Z358.1-1990, for Emergency Eyewash and Shower Equipment, Section 5.5.1 states that "Plumbed eyewash units shall be activated weekly to flush the line and to verify proper operation." Section 7.5.1 states that "Eye/face wash units shall be activated weekly to flush the line and to verify proper operation." Section 9.5.1 states that "Each combination unit shall be activated weekly to flush the line and to verify proper operation."
Emergency wash units, including eye wash units, eye/face wash units and combination units are provided in numerous facilities including hospital laboratories, clinical research laboratories, university laboratories, industrial laboratories, work shops, and industrial environments in which particles, projectiles and chemicals pose a hazard to eyes.
For proper operation, emergency eye wash units need to provide a sufficient flow of water which is aimed toward the eyes of a user. Accordingly, it is important that the units be periodically tested in order to ensure that the alignment of the water flow is correct. Moreover the units need to be tested to ensure that the rate of flow is at least 1.5 liters (0.4 gallons) per minute, that the flushing streams rise to approximately equal heights, and that the water will wash both eyes simultaneously at a velocity not injurious to the user. It is also important to periodically test the units in order to flush the water lines to which they are attached so as to ensure that the water lines are not plugged and that there are no particulates which have formed in the water lines which might be projected into a user's eyes.
Although the testing of emergency wash units is required and necessary in order to ensure proper operation, it is estimated that the majority of emergency wash units are not tested because of the ensuing splash and mess created during the testing.
There presently exists a need for a device and method which provides for a convenient way to periodically flush and test emergency wash units.